'Ice Cold Beer' Becomes Clue to Theft: Police Blotter

A bit of detective work and an observant witness contributed to solving a theft Oct. 6.

A Bath officer was stopped about 2:45 a.m. Oct. 6 near Barnes and Noble by a woman who said she was a former police officer and had seen a man trying to conceal something under his shirt.

The officer located the man in a car with two other men in front of Acme. The car owner allowed a search, and the officer found a can of Miller Lite under the seat of the man identified by the woman.

The man said he'd bought it at Shell True North. But the officer noted that the beer was still ice cold — and True North stops selling beer at 1 a.m.

The clerk at the store said he hadn't sold a beer after 1. He also said an inventory showed a can of Miller was missing.

Police reviewed the store's surveillance tape and saw the suspect placing the beer in the front of his pants shortly before 2:45 a.m.

The man had already been released, but the police had his information and issued a warrant for his arrest.